Schlittler and Rice torment hometown team as Yankees beat rival Red Sox 9-0 in playoff opener

Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice led the New York Yankees to a 9-0 victory over their hometown Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Series playoff opener. Despite the absence of star player Aaron Judge due to a calf injury, Rice showcased his batting prowess with two home runs, a double, and four hits, while Schlittler delivered a stellar performance on the mound.

The rookie, who made his postseason debut, added four hits to the game, notably driving in two runs. Schlittler, a frontrunner for the AL Cy Young Award, struck out 10 batters and walked just one in 6 1/3 innings, allowing only two hits. His performance marked the highest major league pitch count for a Yankees postseason starter since CC Sabathia's 121-pitch outing in 2012.